Beef Cattle

[mtm8878]

How much hay does a steer need, assuming grazing conditions are not ideal. How much land per angus? How much feed? What else should I know??

[MO_cows]

How much hay/feed depends how big a steer. Basicallly, a little less than 3% of their body weight per day in hay or grazing. Grain for finishing, start slow and increase gradually to let their gut adjust. How much land per head varies greatly by region. From one head per acre to 300 acres per head in the desert. It is called stocking rate and you should be able to google it for your area. The stocking rate is based on a cow/calf unit so for a steer you will need a little less, but it's a good starting point and better to err on the side of caution and not overgraze.

[SCRancher]

Call your local FSA (farm service agency) they should be able to tell you the "typical" stocking rate for your area. THEN put 1/2 or less of that amount of cattle on your land and increase as you learn.

Also read the rotational grazing thread stickied at the top of this forum - great info from agmantoo and others there.

[Karin L]

Originally Posted by MO_cows

How much hay/feed depends how big a steer. Basically, a little less than 3% of their body weight per day in hay or grazing.

This is in dry matter ration, not as-fed. How much that steer will eat depends on the moisture content in the grass or hay.